Yam Haus Delivers a Needed Dose of Joy to Minneapolis
January 10, 2026 - Minneapolis, MN
Yam Haus was the joy Minneapolis needed after a tumultuous week. On January 10, First Avenue hosted their first show of the year, and they couldn’t have chosen a better band. Starting the year off with a local band, Yam Haus set the stage for a great year of shows. Coming off the release of their new song, “Ain’t Dead Yet,” released in December 2025, Yam Haus lit up the stage with a high-energy performance.
Opening for the night was LAAMAR, the latest project led by Minneapolis-based singer, songwriter, saxophonist, and composer Geoffrey Lamar Wilson. The former frontman of Jus Post Bellum, Wilson came back to Minneapolis and has ingrained himself into the community. His music tends to bring together racial and social justice issues along with the human experience as a whole. There could not have been a more perfect opener than LAAMAR for this show.
His opening set included his songs “Right Person” and “Say My Name.” He also played a song he wrote for Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7th. LAAMAR’s reminded Minneapolis of the power of coming together.
Right before Yam Haus took the stage, lead singer Lars Pruitt made a quick announcement encouraging fans to leave their personal politics at the door and just enjoy the night. Since they tend to exhibit a lot of silliness and joy onstage, they felt it necessary to make a statement: While they are having fun and want the audience to as well, this does not negate everything else going on. Rather, a temporary moment of joy.
Amid the darkness, the members of Yam Haus came out onstage covered in strobe lights. From the first beat of the song, the fans brought the energy. They brought out a drone to record concert footage that zoomed back and forth over the crowd and onstage. The third song in, “Making Out in Cars,” is the song that led me to discovering Yam Haus. I played that song nonstop for a week, so hearing it live was really full-circle for me. It also seemed like a crowd favorite, as the audience was screaming it back to them.
Yam Haus also included other popular songs like “Color You In” and “Spit in My Face.” During “Phoning It In,” Pruitt requested everyone get off their phones and be present in the moment. It was a rare sight to see no phone screens lit up in the crowd. Instead of hundreds of phones staring back at Yam Haus, they got to see their fans’ expressions as they screamed each word back to them. That kind of pure happiness is hard to replicate.
There were a myriad of local special guests, including singer-songwriter Anna Devine, who came out to sing “Always Falling in Love.” Deemed the “cheesiest love song” he’s ever written, Pruitt and Devine’s combined voices created a showstopping moment. Their tones were perfectly matched, and a hush over the crowd made the song even more beautiful.
Diving into more upbeat territory, Yam Haus played “Misery Island” and their latest song, “Ain’t Dead Yet.” They also honored their longtime fans by playing “The Thrill,” which came out in 2019. A large majority of the crowd cheered in recognition, and the city pride emanated inside First Avenue.
Yam Haus came out for an encore and began it with a touching tribute of “Auld Lang Syne.” After all the city has been through over the past week, to see it honored through this song was one of the most impactful moments I’ve experienced at a live show. Even as other artists and comedians cancelled their shows in Minneapolis, Yam Haus stayed and showed us all the importance of a community coming together.
